The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a stuffing or insertion apparatus for the stuffing or insertion of at least one insert into printed products, especially for the stuffing of at least one insert into folded main printed products.
Generally speaking, the stuffing apparatus of the present invention is of the type comprising a transport or feed device for the conjoint transport of, generally in each case, two printed products which are superposed or lying or reposing upon one another, along a predeterminate processing path. There is also provided a displacement or shifting device for the displacement or shifting of the printed products relative to one another during the course of the product movement along the predeterminate processing path.
Such type of stuffing apparatus is known to the art from Swiss Pat. No. 649,267, and the cognate U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,448, granted Nov. 22, 1983. In such prior art stuffing apparatus, in each case two superposed printed products are conjointly transported along a processing path, then are opened in succession and there is introduced an insert into each momentarily formed product opening. In order to be able to open the printed products which lie upon one another, the leading edge of one of the printed products is freed or exposed. This operation is accomplished in that the transport device during its return movement entrains a printed product through a certain path of travel, whereas the other printed product is prevented from being entrained in the direction of the returning transport device by the provision of a stop or abutment member. It should be readily evident that with this heretofore known construction of stuffing apparatus the displacement of two mutually reposing thin printed products can lead to difficulties. The stop of abutment member over which travels the entrained product, in such case, only may protrude to a slight extent so as not to damage the second or other printed product and yet it must protrude sufficiently to ensure that the first printed product is positively held back or retained. Hence, with these prerequisites in mind, it is necessary when processing thicker printed products to accommodate and positionally adjust or set the stop or abutment member. The same is analogously true when converting the stuffing apparatus so as to work with thinner products instead of prior processed thicker printed products. Consequently, the stuffing apparatus must undergo time-consuming adjustment or setting work before it can be placed into operation.